Apr 17, 2011 5 min read

By Dr. Karen Jensen

The federal Environmental Protection Agency states that 44 percent of the population will develop cancer  in their lifetime, with half of those cancers proving fatal. That means, of 10,000 people, 4,400, approximately, will get cancer and 2,200, approximately, will die from that cancer.

By EPA cancer statistics for radionuclides, if 10,000 people drink two liters of water containing 5 pCi/L of

radium radioactivity every day for 70 years, then one additional person will likely develop a fatal cancer from the radium.

The other 9,999 people will statistically be fine. Of course, none of us wants to be that one but there are many more things that can

be done to cut your risk of dying early from such things as cardiovascular disease, alcoholism, fires, falls, slips on ice, auto

accidents, etc.

Simple dilution of excess radionuclides in water is the preferred method of processing unless other factors make it impractical or

unsafe. We are exposed daily to low level natural radiation in water and foodstuffs from many sources. Bananas, carrots, white

potatoes, lima beans, red meat all emit around 3,500 or more pCi/kg from potassium-40, while Brazil nuts can emit as much as

7000 pCi/kg due to their radium content.

For those of you who have been swimming in our world’s oceans, the average radioactivity of seawater due to natural sources is 338 pCi/L, due primarily to potassium-40. There are many public-use waterwells across America that contain natural levels of radium activity independent of any gas well drilling. Their high radium [and uranium] content is due to denser than normal deposits of uranium compounds in the surrounding geological structure. Some of these were closed down. Some have succesfully  incorporated  one or more of various industrial removal methods. Others simply route the water of higher activity into a mix with low-activity water from shallower groundwater sources, resulting in water suitable for distribution.

Along the Monongahela River between Morgantown and Pittsburgh there are six U.S. Army Corp of Engineers locks and dams.

The total volume of the pools between these dams from Morgantown to Pittsburgh is maintained at approximately 35.2 billion

gallons year round by controlling the flow through the dams.

In the low flow conditions of fall, the time it takes for that 35.2 billion gallons of water to flush out from Morgantown to Pittsburgh and be replaced with fresh river water is about 60 days. During average flow conditions, it takes about 30 days. In times of high flow, the flushing time can be less than four days.

Prior to the 2011 EPA regulations, a daily average of 557,136 gallons of wastewater with an average total dissolved

solids  load of 60,000 mg/L were discharged at nine different publicly owned water treatment  plants along the Monongahela

River.

Assuming the worse case low flow conditions of the river using a flushing time of 60 days, the estimated dilution factor is

approximately 1,000 to 1. For an average flow over 30 days, the dilution factor is 2,000 and for high flow of four days flushing time, the dilution factor becomes nearly 16,000. From Oct 22, 2008 on, the EPA greatly restricted discharging into the Monongahela River due to the drought. Present 2011 EPA regulations restrict the TDS load in wastewater discharged from POTW sites to less than 500 mg/L. Radium concentrations will be proportionately less.

Currently, 65 percent of the frac/flowback wastewater is being reused by the companies. For the average radium radioactivity of 1469 pCi/L from the 19 sites, the state Department of Environmental Protection analyzed during 2008-9, in low flow conditions a dilution of 1,000 results in a radioactive emission of 1.5 pCi/L, well below the EPA safe drinking water limit of 5 pCi/L but notable. It should raise a caution flag. With higher flow, the radioactivity per liter becomes even less significant, 0.75 pCi/L at normal flow and 0.09 pCi/L at a dilution of 16,000:1.

Recent Department of Environmental Protection test results confirm the reasonableness of these calculations. Given the new standards limiting TDS discharge to 500 mg/L, dilution is an adequate solution for the current radionuclide concentrations in frac/flowback water. Development of treatment facilities to handle the high TDS load of wastewater will result in the simultaneous removal of radionuclides as well, further diminishing the concerns over dilution in the river.

Good quality control requires frequent monitoring of the TDS and radionuclide concentrations at proper locations [ponds,

trucks, discharge sites] at a sampling rate sufficient to eliminate the possibility of going out-of-compliance. It’s just a cost of

doing business properly.

I ask representatives of the oil and gas industry, state Department of Environmental Protection, and responsible academicians to please forego the fear of lawyers and liability concerns that have stifled communication in our society for too long. Suppressing communication and open discussion has only succeeded in fostering an antagonistic relationship between extremist elements of our communities, state Department of Environmental Protection, and the oil and gas industry.

People should write letters to our local newspapers addressing these specific concerns, and others, as they are raised. The

printed word reaches more people than isolated public forums. Ultimately the truth will be uncovered, warts and all. It is best for

all sides to be forthright in discussing the issues surrounding Marcellus drilling operations in our community.

Dr. Jensen is a resident of Farmington.